RICHMOND

Recently killed legislation by a Virginia Beach lawmaker to allow offshore drilling along the state's coastline and use some profits for road needs may be revived.

Republican leaders expect to bring an offshore drilling bill up for a vote Wednesday in the House of Delegates when the General Assembly's special session on transportation resumes.

The bill, HB6006, by Del. Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, would dedicate any future state revenue from offshore drilling for oil and natural gas to transportation needs.

A federal moratorium on drilling would have to be lifted before any drilling could commence off Virginia's shores.

Saxman's bill differs from a related proposal by Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach. Saxman's measure may be a vehicle to resuscitate Wagner's.

In that scenario, Saxman's bill would be made to reflect Wagner's proposal to dedicate portions of drilling royalties to pay for road costs, Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts and energy grants and research.

Wagner's bill was rejected by a Senate committee last month. Democrats defeated the bill and a similar measure that was combined with his on a party-line vote.

"I certainly hope it has a better reception with a second chance around," Wagner said Monday when reached by phone.

The senator was not aware of talk about reviving his bill, but said he would be glad to get "a second bite at the apple."

If the bill passes the House, either as it stands or in an amended version that looks more like Wagner's proposal, it would be sent to the Senate for consideration.

A statement issued Monday by House Republican leaders said that a previous offshore drilling bill by Wagner in 2005 was approved by the legislature before being vetoed by then-Gov. Mark Warner.

The debate about offshore drilling has intensified recently in response to steadily rising gasoline prices.

Many Republicans support the concept, though some Democrats say drilling is more of a GOP gimmick than a real solution.

"If we were to drill everywhere from New Jersey to South Carolina - and it's still years away - it would only add 140 days of oil supply to this country," Warner, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, said last month.

Republicans counter that rising energy prices require a new approach.

"Even though surveys repeatedly show strong public support for increased domestic energy exploration and offshore drilling, legislation that would bring America closer to energy independence remains stalled in Congress," Saxman said Monday in the written statement.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com